Tunisia: Kais Saied’s anti-corruption war off to a slow start

President Saied sacked the government promising a major overhaul, but has made no significant moves.

Tunis, Tunisia – President Kais Saied’s long-promised war on corruption is not quite the dramatic blank slate that his followers have been hoping for. On Sunday, Saied took control of the country by invoking Article 80 of the Tunisian constitution in a popular move to break the country out of the crisis brought on through political instability and economic fragility, all compounded by the coronavirus pandemic. Following his announcement, the president swiftly sacked Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi and other ministers, promising sweeping changes to the political system and to root out corrupt politicians.